Towel-holder



N. c. KELLER.

TOWEL HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 19'20.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NARDO C. KELLER, 01 EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE EAGLE LAUNDRY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A PARTNERSHIP.

TOWEL-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed June 28, 1920. Serial No. 392,393.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Nanoo C. KELLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Towel-Holders, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention relates as indicated to towel holders or racks and more particularly to a holder which is adapted to securely retain a plurality of towels therein and is adapted more particularly for use in oiiices or factories where a large supply of towels is required. The present holder is construct-- ed 50 that it will retain any number of towels securely, from one towel up to the capacity of holder which is not possible in the usual holder where a plurality of towels is necessary before binding action is accomplished. A further feature of the dev'ce is the simple and etlicient means for mounting the holder to the standard on which it is carried. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. 1

Theannexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my towel holder without the towels secured therein; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the upper part thereof showing the towel retaining means; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 2, showing anumber'of towels in position thereon; and Figs. and 5 are details of construction.

As best shown in Fig. 1 the present towel holder comprises a supporting standard 1 consisting of upright members 2 having base members 3 attached to the lower ends thereof whereby the rack is adapted to be self supporting. Removably mounted on the upper ends of the uprights 2 is an arcuate member at which, with its component parts, is adapt ed to retain the towels in an accessible posi tion. A panel 5 is provided against which the towels to be used rest, being attached to the uprights 2 by means of supporting straps 6 riveted or otherwise fastened thereto.

The towel retaining means proper consist of the arcuate base member 4 having one end 7 thereof upturned at an angle approximately the radius of the member 1, the outer end 8 of this upturned end 7 being again bent at an angle away from the main part of the member 4:. A slot 9 is provided in the upturned end 7 which extends to approximately the lower-most portion of the upturned end 7, the function of which will be explained later.

The end of the member 4 opposite to upturned portion 7 is provided with a housing 10 approximately rectangular in cross section in which is mounted the adjusting means for the towel clamping means proper. The towel retaining means proper consists of a wire or cable 11 having a nut 12 fixedly attached to one end either by brazing or any other suitable means.

The opposite end of the wire 11 is provided with a stop member 13 which is cylindrical in form, although the form of this memher is immaterial as long as it functions properly. This member 13 is also securely fastened to the end of the wire 11 in a manner similar to the connecting means of the other end.

Mounted in the housing 10 is a plate 15 having an opening 16 therein. A screw or bolt 17 having'a squared head 18 is adapted to fit within the opeuing16 and is prevented from passing therethrough, by means of a shoulder or flange 19 on the screw 17.

In operation a plurality of towels A are folded over the wire 11 at approximately their center as shown in Fig. 3, and are permitted to hang over the edge of the member 4 and rest against thepanel 5. The end of wire 11 having the nut 12 thereon is inserted within the housing 10 and onto the screw 17, the other end 13 being inserted through the slot 9 in the upturned flange 7 on the member 4 and adapted to engage behind and below the bent end 8. The nut 12 is such size and shape that it will fit within the housing 10 and will be held against rotation but will be permitted to move longitudinally therein. The screw 17 is then tightened by means of key or if a slotted head is provided on the screw by means of a screw drive until the wire 11 is tightly drawn, thereby firmly retaining the towels against the member 4, the bent end 8 of member 4 preventing the removal of the stop 13. By forming the member 4 as an arc of a circle, it has been found that it is much more difficult to pull a towel out than if the member 4 was flat, since the wire 11 being flexible adapts itself to the shape the towels take, and clamps the towels not only on the edges, as is usual in towel racks in which the retaining means are not curved, but also along practically the entire bearing surface.

In using a towel holder in which the retaining member is fiat or in a plane surface. the towels are usually gripped or held only at the sides or edges because the towels being hemmed or finished along the sides, makes the outer ends of the pile considerably thicker than in the center, and this causes an extra thickness on each edge of the pile of towels and as a result the center of the pile away from the edges is held relatively looser than along the sides. By the use of the present form of retaining means, the towels are gripped at the middle as well as at the edges thereof.

A reinforcing flange 20 is provided along the lower side of the member 4 and is adaptid t2 form a stiffening means for said mem- Depending downwardly from the rear edge of the member 4: and approximately below the upturned end 7 thereof is a flange 21 provided with an open ended slot 22. A. second flange 23 is provided at the opposite end of the member 4 and has a hole 24: therein.

In attaching the member land the retained towels to the standard 1 the slot 22 on the flange 21 is inserted behind the head 25 of a rivet 26 in the upright 2, and the hole 24 is brought into alinement with a complementary hole in the other upright 2. A bolt 27 is then passed through the alined holes and securely fastened by means of a nut 28.

As will be seenfrom the above description, together with the drawing, I have provided a very simple and efiicient means for retain-i ing a plurality of towels in an accessible position. By the arrangement provided each towel is used twice, first one end and then later on the other, each end asit is used being thrown back over the rear edge of the member 4 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. It will also be seen that by the construction used it is possible to retain any number of towels, from one towel up to the capacity of the retaining member securely, this being accomplished by the flexibility of the wire 11 which'adapts itself approximately to the contour of the pile of towels gripped therein; the tension put on the wire tending to cause it to form a straight line and therefore contact with the curve of the member 4.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained. change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 2- 1. In a towel holder, the combination of an arcuate base member having an upturned end, a housing mounted on the opposite end of said arcuate base member, flexible clamping means retained between such upturned end and said housing, and means mounted in said housing and engaging said clamping means to clamp the same over said arcuate base member.

2. In a towel holder, the combination of an arcuate base member, a housing mounted at one end thereof, a flexible clamping member attached to the opposite end, and means mounted in said housing and adapted to ten sion said flexible clamping member to cause the same to have clamping action and to follow the contour of said arcuate base member.

3. In a towel holder, the combination of an arcuate towel retaining member having an upturned end, such upturned end being provided with a slot, a housing mounted on the opposite end of said towel retaining member, a screw rotatably held in such housing, a flexible clamping means disposed between such upturned end and such housing, said clamping means having a stop on one end and a nut on the other end, such stop being adapted to engage in such slot behind said upturned end on said towel retaining member and such nut being adapted to engage said screw in said housing.

4;. In a towel holder, the combination of an arcuate base member having an upturned end. such upturned end being provided with a slot, a housing mounted on the opposite end of said arcuate base member, a flexible clamping means retained between such upturned end and said housing, a stop on said flexible clamping means adapted to engage behind said upturned end on said arcuate base member, a nut on the opposite end of said flexible clamping means adapted to slidably and non-rotatably fit within said housing on said arcuate base member, and a screw rotatably held within said housing and adapted to engage said nut on said flexible clamping means.

5. In a towel holder, the combination of an arcuate base member having an upturned end, such upturned end being provided with a slot, a housing mounted on the other end of said base member, a wire adapted to engage in such slot, a stop member on'one end of said wire adapted to engage behind such upturned end on said base member, a nut on the other end of said wire adapted to slidably and non-rotatably engage within said housing, and a screw in said housing adapted to engage said nut on said wire whereby the rotation of said screw will cause said wire to assume a straight line.

6. In a towel holder, the combination of an arcuate base member having an upturned end, a housing mounted on the opposite end of said base member, flexible retaining means adjustably held between such upturned end and said housing, means in said housing adapted to tension said flexible retaining means, and a flange attached to the base surface of said arcuate base member adapted to retain said arcuate base member in such arcuate form.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a towel holding means comprising an arcuate base member, a flexible clamping means removably held thereon, and means on said arcuate member engaging said clamping means adapted to adjust the tension on said clamping means, a standard, and means engaging said towel holding means and said standard whereby said towel holding means is removably held in engagement with said standard.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a towel retaining means comprising an arcuate base member and a flexible clamping means adjustably held thereon, a standard provided with uprights, one of said uprights having a projection provided with a head thereon, a depending flange on said arcuate base member having a slot therein, such slot being adapted to en.- gage behind such head on such projection, a second upright having an aperture therein, a second depending flange on said arcuate base member, said flange having an aperture adapted to aline with such aperture in such second upright, and means engaging with such alined apertures adapted to retain said towel retaining means and such uprights in fixed relation.

Signed by me, this 22nd day of June, 1920.

NARDO C. KELLER. 

